Amusement device



Feb. 21, 1933. H. P. PIER'soN AMUSEMENT'DEVICE Filed June l2, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l` l .e u

` INVENTOR'. y Hallie F. Fiel-'5cm ATTORNEYS.

v BY z y Feb. 21, 1933. H. P. PiERsoN AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed June 12', 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' LIN ... INVETOR. Hallie 1:. FLEISm-L ATTORNEYS' 50 the car mounted thereon. The guide frame 16 aside from providing Patented Feb. 21, 1933 1,898,466

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE H ALLIE P. FIERSON, or A. sa n. COLLEGE, MISSISSIPPI AmSEMEN'r :DEvIcE Applica-tien mea June 12, 1931. seri-a1 No. 543,963.

The present invention relates to amusement Figure 5 isan enlarged bottom plan view devices primarily intended for the entertainofthe car. v -ment and amusement of children and the pri- Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary demary object of the invention is to provide a tail view of the combined clutch and retaining 5 device of this character embodying the gendevice for retaining the car in position upon eral principle of a' see-saw, but with added the swing beam. l features whereby the action of the up and Flgure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view down movement o'f the swing board or beam of one end of the guide rod for the car. is aided by spring means acted upon by an Referring to the drawings in detail, and v 10 automatically shifted weight. wherein similar reference characters desig- 60 A further object of the invention is to pronate corresponding parts thruout the several vide a device of this character which is ad- Views, the letter A designates a stand for pivjustable as to height and also having counterotally supporting a swing board or beam B. balancing means whereby children of dier- The stand A is preferably of knock down l5 ent weight may be evenly balanced. vconstruction and embodies the open frame 65 u A further object of the invention is to probase 5 including the side bars 6 and end bars v vide a device of this character which may be 7 preferably bolted `to Vthe .side bars 6 adjaeconomically constructed and may be readily Cent the ends thereof. Secured as by bolting dismantled and compactly bundled for shipor the like to each side bar 6 midway between ping and .Storing purposes, the end'bars 7 iS an u right 8 and these 11p- 70 A still further and important object of the rights may be braced y arcuate brace memvinvention is to provide a device of this charbers 9 connected to the side bars 6 and are acter embodying a movable carriage or car held by suitable spacing strips 10. The upper adapted to move longitudinally'of the swing portions of the uprights 8 are provided with `board or plank with the up and down movea serlesl of adjustment opening 11 for receivment of the board and embodying cushioning ing the pivot bolt 12 serving to pivotally supmean's for preventing jarring at the limit of port the beam B. Thus it will be Seen the admovement of the car in each direction.` `justlllent openings 11 permit raising and low- A still further object resides in the novel erlng of the pivotal mounting for the beam manner in which the car is held against dis- B so that the device may be adjusted for use placement and the novel manner in which the by either small or large children. car may be secured at various positions 1on-l The beam B comprises a seatboard '15 to gitudinally of the Swing beam `to act. as a which is Secured a guide frame 16 which tercounter-balance. fminates short of the ends of the seat board Other objects and advantagesof the invento provide seats 17 at each end ofthe seat 85 tion will be apparent during the course of the board beyond the ends of the guide frame. following detailed description, taken in con- While the seat boardv 15 may be of one piece nection with the accompanying drawings construction, it is preferred that the board forming a part of this Specification and in be of sectional construction as shown for prewhich drawings: venting warpingandpermitting collapsing ,Figure 1 is a perspective view ofthe imof the board into such compact form as to proved amusement device. be received within the guide frame 16 for Figure 2 is a longitudinal section thrul the Storage and shipping purposes. From Figvsame and showing a portion of the support ure 3 it will be seen that the seat board 15 is broken away. constructed of four 'side bars 18 of equal Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the swing length and slightly separated by spacer board or beam. blocks 19 arranged between the ends of the Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse section bars. Suitable bolts as at 20y serve to conthru the swing board or beam and showing nect the -side bars;

mit

a runway for the car C also serves as a connecting and reinforcing means for the sectional seat board 15. This guide frame 16 embodies a pair of longitudinal side rails 21 connected at their ends by cross rails 22 which extend across the upper side of the seat board 15. l The side rails 21 are secured to the side edges ofthe seat board 15 by suitable fastening elements 23 so that the rails project above the upper surface of the seat board to provide guides for the carlC.

The car C may be of any preferred construction and in the example shown is provided with a bottom 24 provided with the end walls 25 and the side walls 26, the side walls 26 preferably being provided with hand hole openings as clearly shown in Figure 1. Se-

` cured longitudinally to the under side of the car C is a pair of parallel spaced apart spacing strips 27 to the ends of which are secured suitable rollers 28 .for rolling contact with the upper surfaces of the seat board side bars 18. Mounted in the outer side edges of the spacing strips 27 are suitable rollers 29 which bear against the confronting surfaces of the side rails 21.

Secured to each side of the beam A midway the ends thereof is a metal pivot plate 30 which projects below the beam and which are provided with suitable openings for receiving the pivot bolt 12 whereby the beam is pivotally supported between the uprights 8 A combined counter-balancing and shock relieving means is provided for the carv C during swinging movement of the beam B and embodies a guide rod 32 having threaded end portions 3,3. The guide rod 32 is of less length than the guide frame 16 and is connected at its ends to coil springs 34 which in turn are connected at their ends as by suitable bolts 35 to the end cross rails 22. The

'coil springs 34 have reduced end convolutions 34 as shown in Figure 7 and the ends of the guide rods are provided with suitable nuts 36 for preventing withdrawal of the ends of the guide rods from the springs. The threaded ends 33 of theguide rod are provided with adjustable stop nuts 37 which are spaced a substantial distance from the nuts 36 whereby the threaded ends 33 may have movement into the coilsprings 34 when the guide rod is moved longitudinally. As will be observed in Figure 3, the guide rod 32 and springs 34 are connected in longitudinal alignment midway between the side rails 21 so that the guide rod extends between the spacing strips 27 of the car as shown in Figure 4.

Referring particularly to Figure 6, the car C is provided with a combined retaining and adjusting device 40 which is so associated with the guide rod 32 as to retain the car upon the runway formed by the guide frame 16 and also permits the carto be held against movement at various positions along the guide rod between the stop nuts 37. The device 40 comprises a mounting plate 41 secured in the car bottom 24 and provided with a threaded sleeve portion 42. Threaded into the lower end of the sleeve portion 42 from the under side of the car is a forked coupling member 43 providing arms 44 adapted to straddle the guide rod 32. The lower ends of the arms 44 are apertured to receive a retaining pinv 45 which extends across the lower side of the guide rod and prevents movement of the rod from between the arms. Threaded into the upper portion of the coupling member 43 is a clamping screw 46 which projects upwardly into the car and is provided at its upper end with a suitable operating handle or wheel 47. A suitable guide bushing 48 may be threaded into the upper vend of the sleeve 42. Upon turning of the clamping screw 46 into engagement with the guide rod 32, the car C may be secured against longitudinal movement.

Provided beneath each end of the beam B is a cushioning means which also serves for assisting in raising the ends of the beam at their limit of downward movement. Secured to the under side of each seat 17 is a triangular-shaped block 50 to which is secured the smaller end of a frusto-conical shaped coil spring 51 provided at its lower end with a iiat metallic shoe 52 which may be of disc-shape as shown in Figure 3. These shoes 52 serve to prevent dirt or analogous material from jamming the coils of the spring. As will be observed in Figure 2, the cushioning springs 51 are arranged with their axes in upwardly converging relation and with this arrangement, the shoes 52 will be in substantially parallel relation to the ground surface when the springs are in a lowered position.

Provided at the inner end of each seat 17 is an upstanding T hand v grip 55 to be grasped by children seated on the seat 17.

In use, when a child is seated upon each end of the beam B and an up and down movement of the beam has been started, the cushioning springs 51 will act as rebound springs for assisting in raising the ends of the beam from the lowered position. The springs 51 will materially reduce the pressure of the childs feet upon the ground required for raising the lowered end of the beam. During rocking movement of the beam, the car C will move to and fro along the beam to opposite sides of the pivot 12 and alternately exert a tension on the springs 34.

Referring particularly to Figure 2, when the left end of the beam is ina lowered position as shown the car C will naturally roll toward the left until the forked coupling member 43 engages the stop nuts 37 at the left side of the pivot 12. Engagement of the coupling member with the stop nuts will exert a pull upon the guide rod 32 and extend the the upper coil spring 34 acts with a rebound and exerts a pull upon the car C toward the pivot 12. As the Vright hand end of the beam lowers, the car will roll by gravity to the right and upon striking the stop nuts 37 will exert a pull upon the spring at the left of the pivot bolt. Thus the sprmgs 34 valternately act to relieve shock at the limit of` movement of the car in each direction and also assists in starting the car on its return movement. The car or carriage C may accommodate one or more children and the car is prevented from leaving its runway thru its sliding connection with the guide rod 32. When it is desired that the car be held against to and fro movement along the swing beam, the wheel 47 may be turned for turning the clamping screw 46 into binding engagement with the guide rod at any desired point therealong whereby the car will act as a counter-balancing meansl for vunequal weights placed upon the ends of the beam.

'With the arrangement shown, the-devicev may be vused by one or more children and when used by a single child the car C may be adjusted along the guide rod to'counter-balance the weight of the child upon one end of the beam. The device may beconstructed of wood, metal or the combination of bothand may be made in various sizes.

Changes in detail may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. In an amusement device of theclass described, a stand including a pair of uprights, a swing beam fulcrumed midway its ends upon the uprights, a carriage guided for -limited longitudinal movement along .the beam to opposite -sides of the fulcrum point, cushioning means for the carriage upon its limit of movement in either direction, and a seat provided at each end of the beam beyond the limit of movement of the carriage.

2. In an amusement device of the class described, a support, a swing beam fulcrumed midway its ends upon the support, a guide rod mounted longitudinally' of the beam, a

car guided for` to and fro movement longitudinally of the guide rod, and means for securing the car to the guide rod at adjusted positions along the guide rod.

3. In an amusement device the combination with a beam fulcrumed midway its ends for vertical swinging movement, of a guide frame mounted longitudinally of the beam and providing a runway, a car guidedin the runway, a guide rod extending longitudinally of the guide frame beneath the car,

coil springs connecting opposite ends of the guide rod to the ends of the guide frame, and a' coupling member carried by the car for movement along the guide rod between said sprmgs.

.4. In an amusement device the combination of a stand, a swing beam fulcrumed midway its ends upon the stand, a guide frame mounted longitudinallyv of the beam and terminating short of the ends thereof to.provide seats beyond the ends of. the frame, a car, wheels supporting the car 'for movement longitudinally of the guide frame, a guide rod provided with stops disposed at opposite sides of the ulcrum point of the beam, a coil spring connectin opposite ends of the guide rod to the ends o the guide frame, and a coupling memf `beyond the endsof the frame, a' car, wheels supporting the car for movement longitudinally of the guide frame, a guiderod provided with stops disposed at opposite sides of the fulcrum point of the beam, a coil spring connecting opposite ends of the guide rod to the ends of the` guide frame, a couplin member carried by the under side of the car or guided movement along the guide rod between said stops, a rest pin carried by the coupling member to extend transversely@ beneath the guide rod, and a clamping screw carried by the coupling member for binding engagement with the guide rod for retaining the car-in adjusted positions along the guide rod.

' 6. In an amusement device embodying a. pivotally mounted beam, a runway forming guide frame mounted longitudinally of the upper side of the beam, a car gulded for movement to and fro inthe runway, a guide rod having stops provided adjacent each end thereof, a spiral coil spring connected between each end of the guide rod and the ends ofthe guide frame, said guide rod beyond the stops thereon having movement into the coil springs, and a coupling memberl carried by the car embodying spaced arms straddlmg the guide rods between the stops and means for preventing withdrawal of the gulde rod .from between the arms of the coupllng memjecting thereabove to provide guide anges,

end rails connecting the side rails, a car havin bottom wheels engaging the beam and si e wheels'engaging said guide anges, a guide rod having stops provided adjacent each end thereof, yieldable means connecting the ends of the guide rod with said end rails of the uide frame, and a coupling member carried y the car for guided movement along the guide rod between the stops provide thereon.

8. In an amusement device of the class described, a swing beam, a car guided for to and fro rolling movement longitudinally of the beam, and cushioning means for yieldably A limiting movement of the car in each direction including coil springs attached at one end to the beam at points adjacent the ends of the beam and joined by means engageable by the car.

9. An amusement device of the class described comprising a stand embodying a pair of spaced apart uprights, a beam ulerumed intermediate its ends between the uprights, a runway provided on the upper side of the beam and extending equally to each side of the pivot point for the beam, a car movable in the runway, 'a guide rod in the runway and having a stop provided adjacent each end thereof, coil sprin connectin the ends of the rod to cross ralls at the en of the runway, a coupling lmember carried by the car and slidable along the guide rod into engagement with said stops, and a cushioning spring provided at the under side of each end of the beam.

10. In an amusement device of the class described, a standka beam fulcrumed midway its ends upon the stand, a guide frame mountf ed longitudinally of the beam and terminating short of the ends of the beam to provide seats at each end of the beam, a T-handle at the inner end of each seat, a car for rolling movement in the guide frame, and yieldable means for limiting movement of the car in each direction.

HALLIE P. PIERSON. 

